Faster
by Hopeless.Romantic.1115
Summary: This is some what I think will happen in the Season 4 premier. It's rated T because I like it. 2-shot
1. Chapter 1

_I just watched the first scene of Rise and I had to write this in response. I can't wait till September 19th! Thats halfway through September! Halfway! I dont own Castle. Halfway!_

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><p>He's huffing and puffing, his legs feel like jelly, but he doesn't stop running. He has to keep up with them, with her.<p>

He's a little less than ten feet from the gurney, too far for comfort, but close enough to hear what Lanie is saying.

"Don't die on me. Don't die on me Kate Beckett. Don't die!" She was screaming, salty liquid falling from her eyes.

An Indian doctor comes out the door and speaks medio-babble to Lanie, a language Rick doesn't understand. He only understands when the Indian doctor says "You have to leave. We need to get her to the E.R"

Lanie, still yelling through tears "No. She's my friend do you hear me! She's my friend!"

He quickly says back "Then let us save her."

Lanie looks at the doctor quickly, then back down at Kate. With one swift movement she's off the gurney and staring teary-eyes at the doors. He finally catches up to Lanie, missing the initial target.

Lanie grabs his collar and sobs into his shirt.

After a few moments she begins half-heartely hitting him. "Why weren't you faster? That should be you! Not her, you!" she screams before sobbing again.

Every few seconds she would mutter, "Not her." Or "Youyouyou!", before Esposito came from around the corner and Castle slid Lanie into his arms, which she seemed to fit better in.

Castle knew that Lanie didn't mean what she said, it was all the emotion, seeing your best friend be shot can do crazy things to your head, but he also knew that some of what she said was true. If he had moved a millisecond faster, if he had just connect the flash of light to a hit man faster, Kate wouldn't be in the E.R. At the very least, it would have been him.

He sat in the waiting room, hating the uncomfortable chairs, but thinking he deserved it.

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><p><em>Please review. Halfway!<em>


	2. Chapter 2

One year ago, he was at a party, celebrating the release of the second book in the Nikki Heat series. He had starry eye woman throwing themselves at him, a majority of them scantly clad.

Today, he had just sent his daughter off to an early Yale program- she had protested, saying he wasn't emotionally ready for her to leave, but in the end gave in- and fought off at least twenty-three calls from Gina, saying he wasn't emotionally ready for the release party. He was sitting at an old swing-set, remembering when Alexis was little, and remembering recent events.

He was drawing squiggles in the sand when an auburn-haired ghost sat next to him on the sing-set, holding his latest book.

"I was hoping to surprise you, give you the satisfaction of seeing me buy your book in front of you. Maybe even go a little fan-girl and asked you to sign it. Just think how embarrassed I was when I showed up at the bookstore to find out you weren't there. Gina was though," Kate spoke, looking straight ahead and only turning her head when he did.

"She said you were gone because of some 'Unhealthy mental state'. I told her you're mental state was always a little so-so." He smiled at this and stood up, opening his arms for a hug.

Now, in past years, she would have scoffed at this, but this was special, this was _After_.

So she hugged him and she tried to pull away, he held on.

"I've missed you Kate." He said, visibly happier than before.

She felt slightly said at this comment, because she missed him too. Why did she miss a man when she dating another. She went with her gut on this one:

"I've missed you too Castle."

Wow, magically, her gut stopped hurting.

"Come on Castle," she pulled away from the embrace, and ignored his sad face. "We got a case."

His sad face left when she muttered those words. He looked like he was about to hug a cloud he was so excited. "First case back?" Rick asked, already knowing the answer, but wanting her to say it.

She gave him a smirk "First case back."

Castle pumped his fist in the air with a "Yes!" and put his hand up in a high-five motion. She simply walked away in a 'don't ruin the moment, Castle' fashion, and got into the car, which he promptly climbed in shotgun.


End file.
